Chic Red Lipsticks For Asian Skin

Tracy Chua seeks out the chic in red lips.

It's no easy task to find a red lipstick suitable for Asian skin, and we don't say it lightly. Having the pleasure of witnessing how beautifully Parisian women of varying skin tones and dress carry off those fire engine red lips with grace and candor, one cannot help but aspire to seek that very chicness on our own lips.

With the Lunar New Year upon us, and with red being the color of this season, no time is more apt than now to hunt down that elusive red lipstick for our Asian skintones. In fact, we are pleasantly surprised with the treasure trove we found!

Suitable for both Fair and Bronze Skin Tones

We simply love Shiseido Lacquer Rouge RD501 Drama (S$43). We love how intense and dramatic, as its name befittingly suggests, the color is. Its dark red hue glides on smoothly with a lip applicator. It is a tint that will have you looking from plain to dazzling in seconds!

For Fair Skin Tones with Warm Yellow Undertones

If you spot a fair complexion with a pinkish hue, red lipsticks can sometimes make you look a tad older than you should. What we ought to achieve here is a fresh look, instead of a tarty clichéd appearance. You can instantly light up your face with Kanebo Lunasol Full Glamour Lips Limited Edition EX02 Fresh Vivid Red (S$46), or with one of Shiseido's bestsellers, Perfect Rouge RD514 Dragon (S$43). Both lipsticks are creamy and fragrance-free.

For Fair Skin Tones with Cool Yellow Undertones

If you have fair complexion with a slightly more yellow undertone, you would love how Shiseido Lacquer Rouge RD413 Sanguine(S$43) brightens up your face. And here we thought we could never wear red lipstick because we have yellowish skin!

For Extremely Dry Lips

We all know dry lips don’t take well to red lipstick. Beside prepping with light exfoliation and lip balm, we found a lip savior in Cosme Decorte AQ MW Rouge Supreme in RD431 (S$88). Its creamy 2-in-1 formulation with phospholipid to conceal fine lines and amino-acid oils had our lip moisture-rich and smooth.

For Matte Uber-Chic Look

Good matte lipsticks are hard to come by - what’s more, a red one at that! We love how sophisticated and à la mode RMK Irresistible Lips M 06 Orange Red (S$45) make us feel and look. It’s like being transported back to Café de Flore in Paris, where thinkers, artists and authors engaged in stimulating discourse while being dressed up to the nines.

Now that we have these beautiful tints at our hands, we have got to look at the loveliest (and right) way to wear them.

HOW TO WEAR RED LIPSTICK

Line the inside of your lips with a lip pencil closest to your shade of lips or the lipstick of your choice.

Line the border of your lips with a concealer pencil, or dab on some concealer all around the outside of your lips. This helps prevent that unflattering “bleed-out” look across the mouth.

Carefully fill lips with a layer of red lipstick - we recommend with a lip brush for more precise and even application. Make sure that you blend smoothly into the lines and creases of your lips, and go over your lip pencil markings.

Blot by pursing your lips on a piece of tissue.

Apply another layer of lipstick carefully to make the colour last longer.

Purse your lips around your index finger and drag it out to remove excess lipstick. This also helps prevent excess lipstick from getting on your teeth, yet another unflattering look.

THINGS TO AVOID WHEN WEARING RED LIPSTICK

To look chic, avoid strong eye color. Mascara, eyeliner and a nude highlighter will bring out your eyes perfectly. We certainly do not want to look like we are in a circus act.

Even if you look pallid, go easy on the blusher. A very light dust of blusher is enough for a rosy hint. If you are good at blending, you can also take a tiny spot of the same lipstick, dab on the apples of your cheeks and blend away.

All done? Now, put on a pretty outfit, deck out your confidence, and flash your winning smile. You are all set!